This invention relates to a method and apparatus for dyeing yarn and is more particularly concerned with the method and apparatus for multi-color random or space dyeing yarn while simultaneously forming skein yarn packages.
Space or random dyeing of yarn packages is by now a well established technique used particularly to impart color in tuffted carpets, wovens and knits. Its major attraction is the fact that random color effects are produced thus avoiding formation of the discernable design repeat.
Interest in skein dyeing is increasing because fashion trends are still very much oriented toward fancy yarn effects. Other special effects are obtained by technique like spray printing of yarn, differential dyeing and space dyeing.
Most of the methods employed in the industry utilize either a dip dyeing process, clip dyeing process, knit-de-knit process, printing process or yarn package impregnation process.
A dip dyeing process is one in which portions of the yarn package is dipped in a dye solution, a clip dyeing process is one in which metal clips are attached to the yarn package during dyeing to produce a resist effect.
In the knit-de-knit process, the yarn is knitted into tubing and then roller or vigoreaux printed. In the yarn package impregnation method, the dye is injected into the yarn package by hyperdermic needles using various colors as desired.
In the printing of webs of yarns, usually a number of rollers capable of applying various color combinations are utilized wherein the web of yarn is selectively engaged with certain of the rollers to produce a random or space dyed pattern.
Each of the above processes utilized for random or spaced dyeing of yarn or undesirable for the reason that the process does not afford good reproductability, is not capable of sufficiently high production speed and is uneconomical to carry out.
A considerable amount of yarn used in the textile industry is would on cones, which are then processed to form a skein, with the skein being used for treating the yarn in a number of processing operations, such as heat setting. There have been a number of prior art apparatus designed which will form a skein of yarn wherein each revolution of a skein is parallel, causing substantial contact with adjacent yarn revolutions. One problem of this type of yarn skein is that the porosity of the yarn package is very dense which will obstruct impregnation of yarn treating media.
There have been a number of attempts to provide a yarn skein package having sufficient porosity to permit yarn treating material to effectively impregnate the revolutions of yarn. One of these prior art yarn packages is formed by making a number of small revolutions of yarn and then successfully applying these small revolutions in a circular path about the axis of rotatable support means, with the plurality of revolutions forming a vertical stacked skein consisting of a number of smaller revolutions. The major disadvantage of this type of yarn package occurs when it is necessary to remove the yarn from the skein package for rewinding the yarn on additional support means, wherein the small revolutions of yarn become tangles, requiring the machine to be stopped.
Another problem with the prior art skein forming apparatus is that a number of skeins are formed simultaneously on a frame support means which is provided with a common drive and control means. After a skein package is formed a doffing operation is effected by stopping the machine and removing the skein. The doffing of the skein from these prior art apparatus requires considerable machine down-time, which substantially reduces the skein production of the machine.
Another problem with the prior art skein forming apparatus is in the backwinding of the skein to cones of material. The prior art backwinding operations requires that the yarn be exhausted from one skein of material and that an additional skein be connected with the machine in a stopped position.
A further problem with the prior art skein packages results from the interwoven length of material used to hold the yarn package together, which yarn package easily becomes disarrayed causing the center opening to be difficult to locate when it is necessary to position the center opening on yarn handling means.
In utilizing all the above mentioned prior art methods and apparatus for dyeing yarn and forming shein yarn packages, independent dyeing and yarn packaging machinery are used, which requires separate operations thereby increasing the cost of processing yarn.